Sheep Brain Dissection Steps

Sheep brains, like other sheep organs, are much smaller than human brains, but have similar feature. They can be a valuable addition to your study of anatomy.

See for yourself what the cerebrum, cerebellum, spinal cord, gray and white matter, and other parts of the brain look like with this sheep brain dissection guide! Use this for a high school lab, or just look at the labeled images to get an idea of what the brain looks like.

You’ll need a preserved sheep brain for the dissection. Set the brain down so the flatter side, with the white spinal cord at one end, rests on the dissection pan. Notice that the brain has two halves, or hemispheres. Can you tell the difference between the cerebrum and the cerebellum? Do the ridges (called gyri) and grooves (sulci) in the tissue look different? How does the surface feel?

Turn the brain over. You’ll probably be able to identify the medulla, pons, midbrain, optic chiasm, and olfactory bulbs. Find the olfactory bulb on each hemisphere. These will be slightly smoother and a different shade than the tissue around them. The olfactory bulbs control the sense of smell. The nerves to the nose are no longer connected, but you can see nubby ends where they were. The nerves to your mouth and lower body are attached to the medulla; the nerves to your eyes are connected to the optic chiasm. Using a magnifying glass, see if you can find some of the nerve stubs.

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